Kristiina Lassus | When the design becomes art

Kristiina Lassus was born in 1966 in Finland, graduating from the University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki with a Master of Arts in design Leadership in 1992. After these first experiences she specialized in Product Development as well as Interior Design and Architecture.
After numerous work experiences within renowned interior architecture studios in Finland and Australia, she moved to Italy where since 1997 she has pursued product development experiences with some important design companies such as Alessi, Artek and Zanotta.
During these experiences she became aware that within the panorama of high-end design there are no proposals for high quality rugs, a range of excellence to look at to give life to luxury furniture.
In her words: “I don’t think it’s right to place high quality furniture next to low quality carpet. The imbalance between the two components is evident. On the other hand, I believe that there must be an equivalent exchange to create truly harmonious and balanced environments”
The choice to devote herself to the production of rugs led Kristiina Lassus to found the “Kristiina Lassus Studio” in 2004 and in 2007 to register her own brand for the sale of high-end rugs knotted entirely by hand. In her dual role as designer and entrepreneur, Kristiina found herself traveling a lot around the world, spending long periods in the nerve centers of textile production such as Nepal and India in order to fully grasp the millenary art and tradition of textile processing.
The result of this ambitious experiment is visible in the collection of rugs of her brand, where the precious art of handwork is intertwined with a careful choice of fibers and materials of extreme quality. Among the yarns used, Tibetan wool, Chinese silk and raw silk, linen, bamboo silk and hemp stand out.
Discovering the creations of Kristiina Lassus is a bit like embarking on a wonderful journey, where the names and designs of each piece tell a little about the story of this designer, describing the experiences that over the years have made her what she is.
Always quoting her words: “For me, names are mostly sounds, a mixture of different cultures and stories that I make my own during my travels around the world”
Impossible not to agree with her when you find yourself face to face with her works made of geometries, chiaroscuro and infinite references to the specificity of distant places. In this regard, however, Kristiina maintains a certain reserve, letting it not be hers, but our imagination to give three-dimensionality to each product.
Among the evocative names such as Onoko, Koy, Ululu, Bukuma, Loom and Naaba, the extreme quality of the yarn is made up of bas-reliefs, nuances and designs for every taste capable of not only lasting, but enriching themselves over time, acquiring further value. As real canvases, in fact, Kristiina Lassus rugs are created to last over time, always giving the best of their artisan quality; peculiarities that can only give them further value and suggestion in defining a unique product of its kind.